Few days ago, The President of Benin announced Benin's Halting of Niger's Oil Exports through Its Territory with his main concern being that Niger still have its border with Benin closed. This brought so much tension between the two countries and in response to this action, Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Zeine responded to Benin’s action through Niger’s National Television. He stated that Benin's blockade of Niger's oil exports violated trade agreements between the two countries and with Niger's Chinese partners. He also went ahead to explain why Niger could not yet fully reopen its borders with Benin. Now, here comes the issue, Benin has said it will only back down from this sanction once Niger reopens its border to goods from Benin and normalizes relations. Niger on the other hand clearly states that they will only reopen the border when they are certain that their territory is secured. This decision stems from their concern over potential attacks by Benin, which has caused them considerable alarm. Following is the full translated speech of the Prime Minister. Tensions are high and we can’t wait to see how this will finally be resolved.
#ibrahimtraoré #niger #benin
12 май 2024
